A prestigious Kiev school must stop using a teaching technique that requires students to create Nazi posters.
A special commission of Ukraine’s Ministry of Education ordered the Pechersk School to abandon the method, which it considers too sophisticated for high school sophomores.
Parents went public with their complaints about the history assignment given in November by Kieran Shinkins, a teacher at the international school from Ireland. Jewish and non-Jewish communities throughout Ukraine expressed their concern.
The special commission called Shinkin’s method a “gross error.”
The ministry also recommended the school organize additional classes for senior students and provide instructions on the use of propaganda materials.
It ordered the school to remove the textbook “Weimar and Nazi Germany Guide” by John Hite and Chris Hinton because some of its chapters are not intended for students aged 15 and 16.
The ministry petitioned the Ukrainian Secret Service to shorten the length of Shinkins’ visa.
“I appreciate this strong message of Ukrainian authorities,” Yaakov Dov Bleich, one of Ukraine’s chief rabbis, told JTA. “This message illustrates that Ukraine is earnest about World War II issues.â€
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
